Home
by umgirl2000
Summary: Spoilers for season 3: a continuation of Saturday in 3x08
1. Chapter 1: Home

**Part One: Home**

It was a joyful ride on the way back from the adoption agency. Shelagh had baby Angela, hers and Patrick's daughter, tucked carefully in her arms- wrapped in a warm blanket on the cool October evening. She couldn't take her eyes off the sweet child, and quietly caressed the tiny fingers.

_I have a daughter_ thought Shelagh. It was such a tender thought, one that didn't seem possible mere months or days before. A thought danced into her filled mind of love for this wee child and she gasped.

Patrick heard the gasp and peeked over at his wife. He remembered a time- a little over a year ago, taking a ride back to Poplar with this amazing woman- a woman he finally knew her true name- ride was even tougher for his wife held a new being in her arms- a daughter belonging to them. Angela seemed to be sleeping contently, so he wondered what on earth was the matter. He quietly voiced, "What's wrong?"

"We don't have anything prepared for this wee one," said Shelagh softly, her mothering instincts already taking full force over any other thoughts in her mind. "I am glad the adoption agency was kind enough to send us enough diapers and formula to last us until morning. But, we weren't expecting to get this little one so soon."

Timothy gulped at the thought of nothing prepared. He may have been a big brother for a matter of hours, but he was already feeling protective of this wee thing in his mum's arms. He was thankful for the thought of diapers and formula, but babies seemed to need a lot more stuff.

"I will call Nonnatus House as soon as we get to the house," Patrick replied. "I know for a fact that they have a few things ready in case a family isn't prepared. I was informed by Sister Evangeline to let anyone on my rounds today know this if I saw the need. She mentioned a moses basket which Angela can sleep in tonight." He glanced momentarily and smiled at the sleeping bundle in his wife's added, "I'm pretty sure someone can deliver them to us tonight- if not, I'll go get them." He grimaced slightly at the idea of being separated, even momentarily, from his newborn daughter.

Shelagh smiled and said, "As long as we can return what we borrow. I would hate for another family in a worse situation have to do without. I know we can afford to buy a new one for us. Just ask whomever answers to send the basic necessities to last us until Monday" Patrick added a simple "Yes, I do agree." He silently thought for a moment, and then said, "The young master and I will go out Monday and buy a cot and any other supplies we are going to need. "

Timothy smiled at the idea of being called a young master, and caught the Monday reference. "Um, Dad, I've got school that day. And how will you know what to get?"

Patrick smiled at his son in the rear view mirror. "I'm sure Shelagh can get a list going and have it ready for us by tomorrow night. And yes, I remember you have school Monday. But, I'm sure you would agree that welcoming a new sibling home is a pretty good reason to skip school! Wouldn't you agree, Mum?"

Shelagh nodded her agreement-smiling at the thought of being a mum to both Timothy and this darling daughter- and once again all things Angela filling her head.


	2. Chapter 2: Family

**Part two: Family**

As Patrick turned the corner onto the road, a thought occurred to him. "Shelagh," he said softly, "it might be easier for me to go to Nonnatus house and pick up everything in the car. I can't imagine how the nuns would be able to bring everything on a bicycle."

Shelagh smiled and said, "Tis true. Fred is off with the singing competition and I doubt Sister Evangelina ever learned to drive." A stirring from the baby in her arms caught her attention and she added, "Just make sure you let us unload the stuff before you go. I think this wee child is going to need a diaper change and bottle before her daddy returns."

_ Daddy._ The thought made Patrick grin wider than he could remember doing in awhile. It could have been his wedding day, for all he could remember at this moment. He parked the car and unlocked the boot. Timothy caught what his dad was doing and immediately headed for the boot to start unloading it. Patrick smiled at his son, already being a helpful big brother and went to take the wee child from her mother's arms. He leaned down to place a soft and tender kiss on her head and followed Shelagh to the door.

Shelagh unlocked the door and smiled at the thought that this would now be a home of four and no longer three. She immediately went to the kitchen to start heating water for a bottle and directed Timothy to put the bundles down in the living room. Shelagh returned from the kitchen and found a bottle and a box of formula and immediately trekked back to the kitchen.

Timothy, ever the observer, eyed the rest of the stuff, and asked "What do I do with this?" Patrick smiled and said, "Wait for your Mum to give instructions. Sit down on the sofa and I'll give her to you, and I'll get going." He carefully handed Angela to Timothy and ruffled his son's hair. His son was too captured by the sight of his sister to protest. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he told Shelagh quietly as she came back in with a bottle- stopping long enough to catch her lips for a quick kiss.

Angela, who up to this time, had laid quietly in her brother's arms, scrunched up her face and began to wail. Timothy winced at the sound and looked at Shelagh. Shelagh smiled and said, "It's okay. She's probably hungry. Do you want to feed her?" Timothy shook his head- this was something that he wanted to do, but at the moment, he would rather watch. Shelagh smiled softly at him and took Angela in her arms. She placed her in the crook of her arm and placed the bottle near her lips. Angela immediately latched on and began to feed. Shelagh watched her and said softly, "Tim, can you place one of those clean nappies on my shoulder? I'm going to need to burp her after she finishes eating." Timothy nodded and followed her instructions. Shelagh and Timothy watched, completely enraptured, as Angela continued to eat.

After she burped her, Shelagh cradled the darling girl and eyed the pile of things. "Let's see about getting this sorted. Why don't you go ahead and take the extra bottle into the kitchen and place this one in the sink. I hate to ask, but you may need to do dishes- I don't know how many bottles Nonnatus house has and we may need this one clean sooner than later." Timothy nodded and went to do as he was bid.

Angela's face began to change and Shelagh very quickly caught the reason. She grabbed one of Patrick's older jumpers- a hideous green and laid it on the sofa. Placing her daughter on it, she quickly took of the soiled diaper and replaced it with a new one. Picking up her daughter once again, she picked up the dirty diaper and the one from her shoulder and went to place them in the hamper. She then quietly and instinctively began to pace around the room, quietly singing an Irish lullaby to the bundle who was now asleep in her arms.


	3. Chapter 3:Reveal

**Part Three: Reveal**

Patrick was glad that he knew the way to Nonnatus House so easily. If someone had asked him which one of the many routes he had driven, he couldn't have answered truthfully. His mind was still on a tiny baby girl that already had him wrapped around her tiny fingers.

After parking the car, Patrick walked up to the front door and knocked- which seemed quite silly to him since he often entered it freely- but this seemed to warrant the occasion. He played with his tie as he waited on the door to be answered. His one and only hope was that it wouldn't be Sister Monica Joan to answer the door!

Patrick smiled when the door opened and revealed Sister Julienne. The one lady he was hoping it would be. "What are you doing here, Patrick? Did something happen at the singing competition? Why did you ring the doorbell?" Her questions kept coming as she ushered him inside.

Patrick held up a hand and she stopped with the questions. She saw the grin on his face and immediately knew something was very right in the world.

"I don't know about the singing competition- I had just left Chummy's when Shelagh caught me that their was a baby girl waiting for us at the adoption center. Shelagh and I have just got back from picking her up and signing the papers. I honestly don't know why I rang the doorbell... possibly it's just because I'm coming as a parent who needs to borrow some things for Angela," smiled Patrick as he said the name of his brand new baby girl.

"Angela... a daughter," whispered Sister Julienne. "Come with me and I'll take you to the donations." Patrick nodded his assent and followed her. "The adoption center sent us home with a handful of stuff- possibly enough to last tonight and maybe tomorrow- things like nappies, formula and a few bottles," he explained as he walked. "We don't have anything for her to sleep in or any more clothes at the moment. We had just gotten the letter earlier this week and weren't expecting to get word this soon."

Sister Julienne took mental notes of what Patrick told her. It sounded to her like the Turners would need more than what the donation area had at the moment. Patrick continued his rambling, "We're going shopping, Tim and me, Monday for the baby's things... a cot, more clothes, blankets... honestly whatever Shelagh puts on her list. Shelagh also told me that whatever we borrowed that we could return, including the moses basket, we would return."

Sister Julienne nodded her assent and pointed to the area. Patrick surveyed the stuff and immediately grabbed the moses basket. It was organized- he was sure by Nurse Patsy- and he immediately began to add blankets, clothes, bottles and nappies in a pile as he went. He quickly realized the basket would work as a way to carry all the items to his car and then home- so into the basket it went.

"How old is Angela?" she asked that one tiny detail that she hadn't heard the father mention. "She's less than a week- she was born October 24th to a sixteen year old whose parents decided she couldn't keep her." Sister Julienne's eyes raised in shock and Patrick caught her glance and nodded. "That was the reason why the adoption happened so fast, much faster than Shelagh and I were prepared for- we were expecting to wait longer...and I doubt any of us will be in church tomorrow morning."

After Patrick was finished grabbing items, he smiled at Sister Julienne. Smiling at the new dad, she surprised him by gently wrapping him in a hug. "Blessings to you and your new daughter. Go and take care of them. I'll pass on the news to the others for you. Let me know which midwife you would like to do the visits as soon as possible." Patrick nodded and left Nonnatus House- the basket of items safely stored in the backseat.

Sister Julienne quietly passed the news on to Sister Evangeline with a smile. It was an answer to a prayer. She told of what Patrick had said of not having anything and asked for suggestions. It was then that Sister Evangeline laid out a plan: write an announcement for Tom to make at the parish tomorrow morning. It would announce the adoption of Angela Turner and ask that gifts for the new baby be brought to Nonnatus House as soon as possible. They would be delivered to the Turner's by no later than Tuesday morning. Once she heard the plan, Sister Julienne was absolutely certain that the parents would not be needing much more stuff after the gifts were delivered.

Leaving Sister Evangline to take care of the note, Sister Julienne walked back to her office. It had been a sad evening- losing one of the midwives, but the news of a blessing arriving at the home of a beloved former sister lightened her mood. It also made her think of something that she had placed back and not in the donation box as she had been requested to do so many months ago. The nightdress had been made for a Turner baby after all, even one that came via adoption. It was much too sentimental to go with the baby shower gifts, so she would save it. She would wrap it and give to the Turners at the next get together at Nonnatus House- a farewell lunch for Jenny Lee.


	4. Chapter 4: Evening

**Part Four: Evening**

Patrick arrived back at the house and opened the back seat. He grabbed the moses basket and replaced a few items back into it and headed to the door. He immediately realized he didn't have a hand to open the door, so began to gently tap it with his foot. Shelagh heard the tapping and found a blanket laying nearby and covered the still sleeping little girl. She opened the door and moved out of the way as Patrick made his way into the house. Patrick immediately headed toward the living room and deposited the basket on the floor. Timothy, wearing his mum's apron, entered the room and eyed the basket. It was beginning to make him wonder where all this stuff would go.

Shelagh smiled at the basket loaded with items. It looked like Patrick had grabbed more than enough items to carry them through till Monday. She quietly motioned for Patrick to come closer, and handed Angela over to him. Angela sighed in her sleep at the movement, but continued to dose. Patrick simply cuddled her closer and leaned down and placed another kiss on her forehead. He sat down on the sofa and Shelagh joined him- reaching out with one hand and caressing her daughter's head.

"Timothy," she said, her voice softer since Angela was still asleep. "Why don't you grab a pad of paper and take notes? I'll go fix all three of us a cup of horlicks- this may be a long night for us." Timothy nodded his assent and claimed the chair along with a notepad and pen.

Patrick said, "Why don't we start a list of what we need to do around her to get a room ready for this little angel. We'll need to clean out that small room tomorrow- you and me, Timothy. And then decide on a paint color- I doubt that room has been painted since I moved in here. I'm guessing we can move the majority of that stuff up into the attic for the time being. We'll tackle it at a later time." Timothy nodded and wrote down organize baby's room.

Shelagh walked back into the room with two glasses of horlicks and placed them on the coffee table. She went back to the kitchen to grab a third which she immediately enjoyed a swallow. Patrick looked longingly at his and then at the baby in his lap- Shelagh noticed and raised his cup to his lips for him to swallow. Timothy smirked at the sight and went back to his own cup.

"Is there a dresser in there?" asked Shelagh. She hadn't ventured into the small room since the news she couldn't have any children and was drawing a blank at the furniture in the room. Patrick thought for a moment and nodded. "It might do the job- it's slightly worn since it was mine as a kid." Shelagh nodded and said, "It will do. Any other furniture?" Patrick thought for a moment and said, "A bookshelf- the rest is boxes of odds and ends Tim and I have collected over the years."

Timothy perked up at the mention of a bookcase- his was getting rather stuffed thanks to his growing collection and he needed a bigger one. "Is it bigger than the one in my room?" he asked, to which his father responded with a nod. "I would be willing to swap the one in mine with that one." Patrick grinned at his son and nodded his assent.

Shelagh took another sip and thought for a few more moments. "Alright, Timothy, a new list for shopping. We're going to need a cot for sure. I would love a rocking chair and a soft rug for the floor. You mentioned paint, Patrick and I'm thinking a soft yellow. The other big items is a pram, more formula, bottles and get our own moses basket. I may need some material, but I think it might be better for me to pick that out."

Timothy let out a loud yawn and his parents looked at him. "Go ahead and go to bed, Timothy." Timothy looked at them, about to protest, and thought better of it. All of the excitement of the day plus the horlicks had made him very sleepy. He got up and kissed his baby sister on the head and waved at his parents taking his mug into the kitchen and headed up the stairs.

"Where is this little one going to sleep tonight?" asked Patrick as he adjusted the still snoozing bundle in his arms- transferring her to where she slept on his shoulder. Shelagh got up and walked over to the basket. "If you'll move to the chair, I'm going to start organizing the items." Patrick nodded his assent and picked up a nappie as he went. Shelagh eyed him as he gently lifted her head and placed the nappie under head and then laid her head back down. "Just in case she spits up," he whispered and grabbed his cup of horlicks.

Shelagh made quick work of the items- sorting them into piles. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as her husband tenderly rub his daughter's back as she slept. She moved the formula and bottles- thankful that Patrick had grabbed several- and took them into the kitchen along with her mug. Once the basket was empty and a blanket found for it, she motioned for Patrick to place Angela in it. He did, as tenderly as he did lifting her from her cot earlier that day. After taking his mug to the kitchen and rinsing it out, Patrick then lifted the cot and followed his wife who had begun to creep quietly up the stairs.

Once she entered their room, she turned on the bedside light. Spotting the two dressers, she made quick work of cleaning one of them off. She walked into the bathroom and grabbed a towel which she placed on one of the dressers along with the pile of nappies she had grabbed. It would work for the night as a changing station. Now what to do with the basket? She eyed Patrick with a glance and he placed the basket near the head of the bed. She hadn't noticed but there was a small space that allowed the basket to fit on the floor, but still allow her to climb into the bed. It was safely away from the window as well. She smiled at her husband and turned to grab her pajamas. She knew it would be an eventful night- being a midwife had taught her that babies liked to keep to their own schedule!

Patrick reached out and surprised her by pulling him to him. "I love you Shelagh and I'm thankful I get to raise this beautiful girl with you," he whispered into her ear. She turned and raised her arms around his neck and whispered, "I can't imagine a better daddy for her. I love you, too." With that being said, she reached up and kissed him tenderly. A quiet cry from the corner turned their attention to the newest and most precious addition to the family- Angela.


	5. Chapter 5: News

_**Author's Note:** I'm a southern girl writing a story based in 1959 England. I've also had no experience (other than reading) with babies. I will make mistakes- the diaper instead of nappie. I did add burp cloth to the previous chapter- but I have no idea if it even existed or was used- I'll just call it author liberties. :D_

**Part Five: News**

Trixie was practically floating on air. It had been a wonderful night. The shock of leading the choir had worn off- with a lot of thanks to the special glances from Tom. A perfect kiss from the man with a promise to see him in the morning, and he was off to prepare his sermon. Speaking of Tom, she grinned at the thought of him. It was now firmly settled in her mind- those movie stars had nothing on him.

As she walked up to Nonnatus house, she caught up with Sister Winifred and Cynthia- who had stopped inside the door. Cynthia grinned at her friend who appeared to be walking on air.

"Isn't it a wonderful evening?" Trixie asked. Cynthia smiled slightly and said, "It certainly was eventful. I feel bad for Chummy and Peter for missing the concert though." At the mention of Chummy, Sister Winifred mused, "I'm guessing that's where Jenny has been tonight. I hope everything is okay." With that being said, Sister Winifred placed a quiet prayer up to heavens.

As they walked into the house, Sister Winifred motioned them toward the kitchen. "I don't know about you ladies, but a mug of celebratory holicks is certainly in order." Trixie and Cynthia agreed and followed her in there. Once in there, they spotted the rest of the Sisters already in the kitchen. Sister Julienne looked up and asked, "How did the competition go?"

"We won first place," said Trixie. "Tom has the prize with him. He said he would give it to Shelagh possibly tomorrow. Has anyone heard from the Turners? I know Shelagh said the adoption agency called, and I am guessing they have the baby by now."

Sister Julienne smiled and said, "Yes, they have. It's a little girl named Angela. Patrick came by here about an hour or so ago and borrowed a few things for the baby and told me the news. It seems that they were quite unprepared to get the baby so soon."

Sister Evangeline added, "We're going to have Tom announce the news tomorrow at church. I'm pretty sure the Turners are going to want for nothing by the time Poplar is done with them. This community loves Dr. Turner and Shelagh, so they won't stop at nothing less than giving their all for them."

Trixie smiled at the thought and asked, "Where's Jenny?" Sister Julienne smile dimmed and said, "She's with Chummy and Peter. She'll return later tonight. She was taking care of Fred while the arrangments were made for her mother's funeral." The girls all gasped at the news with "poor Chummy's" being whispered as well.

Sister Monica Joan, who to this moment had stayed quiet, whispered "For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." As soon as she finished, the rest of the Nuns whispered, "Amen." As soon as Patsy and Jenny arrived and the news of the Turner's new darling had been shared, the horlicks was enjoyed and the night was ended on a sweet note for the members of Nonatus House.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part Six: Night**

Shelagh gently pulled herself from her husband's tender embrace. She turned and bent down and gently lifted Angela up into her arms. As soon as she had her settled in her arms, the baby quieted down. Patrick smiled at the sight of his wife and daughter and quietly grabbed his nightclothes to change in the bathroom. As he was changing, his mind wandered to the time- oh so long ago, that Timothy was a baby and how much of an adjustment it was on the household of just him and his wife. He knew it would be even crazier with an older son just down the hall. He knew that at one point they had hosted a newborn, but that was for little more than a day... and this would be forever.

Shelagh, in the meantime, continued to sway and rock the little one back and forth. It was almost as if she was dancing with her daughter. Her face broke into a smile at the memory of the recent dance with her husband to Jim Reeves. After such a dark time between them, that dance had served as a moment that allowed them to see the light.

Patrick emerged from the bathroom and once again fell in love with his wife. Many moments today allowed him to do that and this was just another one to be wrapped as a sweet memory of the day. "Let me take her so you can change as well," he whispered. Shelagh nodded and gently passed her daughter over. She grabbed her nightdress and headed off to the loo to change as well.

Patrick smiled down at the little being- feeling like a giant holding a tiny apple in his hands- and simply stared. He was completely besotted with this tiny human being and nothing could change his mind. He found himself joining his wife in the swaying motion and just watched her sleep.

Shelagh returned to the room carrying the yellow blanket she had once wrapped baby Carole. Like a moment of a dance, the parents passed the blessing between them as she was wrapped in the yellow blanket. "I saw this as I was heading upstairs earlier tonight," she whispered. "I'm thinking Timothy found it and placed it on the bench in the hall. I was so sad giving up Carole but hopeful for our own little one. I couldn't have imagined that we would welcome this tiny being home in this way, but I'm oh so thankful and blessed." Patrick smiled and reached out a strong but tender hand and stroked her softly answered, "I couldn't have said it better."

The baby chose the romantic moment to scrunch her face and let out a wail. The sound caused Shelagh to jump slightly, and then turn her attention to the babe in her arms. She quietly and carefully felt the baby's bottom and realized it was still dry, so the wee one must be hungry. She turned and headed toward the stairs to fix the blessing in her arms a bottle.

Patrick watched his wife leave the room and sat down on the bed. He opened the bedside drawer and pulled out a notebook and a pencil. On the pad was a list started by him only a few days before- a list on how to court his wife. It mentioned dancing, a date night, cleaning the room, writing a letter and then the list stopped. He eyed the list and began to write once more- this time helping out more with the baby.

Patrick tore off a clean piece of paper and made a note on top that said simply: Angela. He remembered the tough time his first wife had balancing everything once Timothy was born. This time was different- for one Shelagh would not have to be bedridden for a week, and for another they had the help of Timothy. He realized something at the thought of Timothy- he may never have the chance to enjoy being with a wee one so small again. His on call schedule the months after Timothy was so hectic that he couldn't remember spending much time with the boy or his mother. It was one thing he regretted, and one thing that he had to change. So one of the first things he made a note to do was to call and find a GP to handle cases, unless it was a genuine emergency for the next week. He knew that there would be time and adjustment for all involved, and a week off would help him and Shelagh find a routine. A week wasn't long, he mused, but it was better than nothing. Another note went down to raise Timothy's allowance to a full crown. He figured he could make a list of chores and as long as Timothy did them within an alloted time, the crown would be well spent. He figured the raise could also allow his son a chance to prove how much he was growing up- a fact that Patrick didn't like to admit to himself. A few more thoughts and ramblings went on the piece of paper and he yawned. He carefully tore off the piece of paper and placed it in his robes pocket and stretched out on the bed and soon fell asleep.

Shelagh, meanwhile, had made her way into the kitchen and made the bottle. As she was waiting for it to heat, she rocked the baby tenderly as she made her way to the shopping list. She grabbed the pencil and pad and took it with her into the kitchen. Once Angela had fed and was burped, Shelagh carefully shifted Angela to her shoulder. Once seated in the kitchen, with a left hand on the wee one, she picked up the pencil and added another hamper and more washing powder. Her mind wandered to the supply closet and she remembered an extra bucket. Being the ever resourceful woman- all those years as a nun had finally paid off- she grabbed the spare bucket and filled it in the sink with warm water. As she did this, she softly sang an Irish lullaby, one that she could remember her mother singing to her as a child. Ever aware of the baby on her shoulder, she realized a clean nappie would be in order before too much longer.

Shelagh carefully walked into the living room- which was still a disorganized mess- and changed and placed a clean fresh nappy on the wee child, and searched among the items for a clean night dress. She swiftly changed the wee one and wrapped her up- noting sadly that her daughter would never wear the one she had prayed so lovingly over so many nights ago. Grabbing the soiled nappies and burp cloths from earlier in the night, she added them to the bucket of warm water to soak until tomorrow. Her laundry day used to be only Monday, she mused, but with this little one in the house, it may have to be everyday or every other day.

Shelagh yawned and realized the days excitement was catching up to her. Her mind briefly wandered to the choir competion and Chummy- and a quick prayer was said, but sleep was calling her name. So, up the stairs she crept and into the room to lay the wee child in the basket and catch a few winks before she awoke again.


	7. Chapter 7: Dawn

**Part Seven: Dawn**

Patrick awoke slowly and tried to figure out what had woken him up from a sound sleep. As a doctor with odd hours, he had learned to fall asleep quickly, but awake easily at the sound of the phone. This time, however, he was sure the phone hadn't rung at all. It was the sound of an infant crying, and it startled him until he remembered Angela- his new daughter. He sat up and saw that Shelagh already had her in her arms as she sat in the chair in the corner of the room.

"Sorry," she whispered. "We didn't mean to wake you." Patrick eyed his wife carefully- her hair had been loosely pulled back and her glasses were slightly caddy-wonkered- as if she had put them on in a hurry. She looked like she hadn't slept at all, and he wondered if she had. "Did you get any sleep?" He whispered.

Shelagh shrugged and said, "Somewhat. It seemed each time I laid down, she started crying again. She slept better when she was in my arms, so we slept in the chair for awhile," she said. "I was about ready to take her downstairs and go get ready for a new day."

Patrick thought of his list- about courting his wife- and realized he had the perfect opportunity in front of him. He grabbed his robe and walked around to the side of the bed and grabbed the moses basket. He placed the moses basket on the bed and taking Angela gently from Shelagh, he tenderly placed her in it. "I'm taking her downstairs with me. I can handle her for a few hours, and let you get some sleep. Don't worry about breakfast, I'm pretty sure I can handle it. What would you like this morning?" Patrick whispered as he watched the now awake baby in the basket.

Shelagh smirked at the thought of Patrick cooking and said, "As long as it's not burnt, I will eat it." Patrick chuckled at the statement, and leaned down to tenderly kiss his wife. "I'll try not to and it'll be ready in about two hours. Timothy should be awake by then as well."

"What if the phone rings?" asked Shelagh, remembering many a Sunday morning when Patrick was called off at the last minute before going to church. "If it does ring, I'll come wake you. I'm going to call a fellow gp this afternoon and ask him to return a favor. He had me cover for him when his wife had their baby for a week unless it was deemed necessary for him to be there. I figure I can ask him to do the same thing for me."

Shelagh smiled at his thoughtfulness, and said "A whole week? Are you sure you can handle not working for that long?" Patrick smirked at her and said, "With this little lady, I am sure my days will be filled. I may go in for prenatal clinic on Tuesday since that is usually one of my busier days. Other than that, I'm sure I'm going to be content being home with this little lady and you."

With that being said, the little lady he had been discussing scrunched her face and let out a wail. Immediately, Shelagh reached out for her. Patrick shooed her hand away and said, "I can take care of her. I do know how to heat a bottle which I'm guessing is what she wants."

Shelagh eyed the clock and nodded, "She ate about 3 hours ago, so yes, I do believe she's hungry again."

Patrick left the room with the baby in the basket and Shelagh dropped down to her knees. In the silence of the room, she lifted up a prayer of thankfulness for the sweet blessing that had been bestowed upon them. She also prayed for the young mother for her to have strength and understanding of the situation. After a quick trip to the loo, she took off her glasses, and sprawled on the bed and fell fast asleep.


	8. Chapter 8: Moments

**Part Eight: Moments**

Patrick sat the moses basket on the chair by the table. He picked up Angela and slowly began to sway her back and forth. As he did, he found the makings of the bottle and began to prepare it. He also put the kettle on to boil as well- he knew he would need a strong glass of tea this morning.

As he waited for the bottle to be ready, he spent the time quietly talking to Angela- playing with her toes, kissing her foreheard, anything he could think of doing to possibly soothe the infant. Once the bottle was ready, he grabbed it and turned down the heat on the water. The tea would have to wait until the princess of the house had been fed.

Settling into a chair at the table, he got the baby settled and she began to feed. After her feed, he realized a moment too late, that he had forgotten to grab a burp cloth when the baby promptly spit up over his robe. With a sigh, he placed the little darling back into the basket and took off his robe. He was about to throw it into the basket to be washed when he remembered the list. He very quickly grabbed the folded piece of paper and pondered a safe place to store it until he could add it to all the other random bits of notes he kept safe in a drawer in his desk. After a few moments thinking, he couldn't decide and just left it on the kitchen table.

Picking up the basket, which was quite heavy, he carried Angela the short distance to the living room. Placing the basket safely on a chair, he headed back into the kitchen to clean up the mess he had made. Unlike other mornings when he would turn on the radio or the television, he left them off- preferring to listen out for any sounds from the basket.

Patrick surveyed the kitchen and realized it was going to be a never ending cycle of washing bottles. Not watching where he was going, he nearly stumbled over the bucket. He caught himself just in time and realized what was in the bucket. Surmising it was Shelagh's creativity, he picked up the bucket and placed it near the laundry tub. He remembered vaguely that his wife had told him Monday was her day to do laundry since the other days had begun to fill up with other events. He smirked at the thought of how much more often laundry would soon need to be done. He walked back over to the stove and restarted the kettle- the tea needed more now than ever. It would help him think of a plan and place it into action.

Once the water got hot,he strained the tea into the cup and turned off the water. As he was stirring the sugar into his tea, he quietly crept back into the living room and peered into the basket, and thankfully, Angela was still asleep. He sipped his tea and mused that the best course of action might be washing the bottles. After this was done, he would start breakfast. Looking outside and seeing it was a cold dreary October morning, he decided oatmeal and toast would be in order. He figured he had roughly about a half hour before Timothy came down- if he kept to his normal schedule!

Patrick had just finished boiling the bottles and nipples and placing them on a towel to dry when he heard feet hitting the stairs. He immediately knew that they were Timothy's. Ever since he got the braces off, Timothy had gone back to full speed on his legs. He walked toward the stairs and caught his son's eye and motioned for him to be quieter. Patrick knew it would take time for his son to adjust to the idea of being quieter around the house- at least for the time being. Timothy was about to protest in his usual way when a cry could be heard from the living room. Timothy's eyes widened and he crept the rest of the way down.

"What's Angela doing in here?" Timothy asked. Patrick, who was holding the baby and swaying her back to sleep, whispered, "I'm letting Shelagh sleep. The baby kept her up most of the night last night."

Timothy grinned cheekily and said, "She woke me up a few times, but Mum must have quieted her down pretty quickly. I slept pretty good." "Well, that is good for you. I was hoping you had, but I wouldn't always count on that happening. It's going to take some time for all of us to adjust to this new member of the family and her to adjust to us." Timothy nodded with agreement, and Patrick smiled at his son- so grown yet still so young.

"I was thinking last night about raising your allowance to a full crown each week," Patrick said- noting the excitement in his son's eyes as he carefully returned Angela to the basket. "But.." he cautioned, "there are conditions."

Timothy eyed his dad and asked, "What are the conditions?"

"More responsibilities for you is the main thing. As a big brother, I think you can handle it." Patrick added, "You're also getting older, so it's time to prove you are learning what that means."

"Does this mean I can play cricket at school this next term?" Timothy asked excitedly. Patrick thought for a moment and said, "If you can keep up with your chores and school work, I don't see why not."

At his son's gleeful expression, Patrick quickly added, "However, piano and choir practice must be kept up as well." Timothy's face fell at that and he muttered, "Great." Patrick smiled at his son and said, "It is part of life, son, sometimes you have to do what you don't want to do. In the meantime, once Shelagh awakes, I'm going to need your help in the baby's room. First, I've got to make breakfast. So why don't you keep an eye on your sister while I go do it."

Timothy sighed and sat down by the basket. He knew his life had changed yesterday, but he didn't realize quite how much. It was going to take some getting used to- this idea of sharing his dad and mum with a tiny little being. He eyed his sister and smiled at her. As long as she was sleeping, he had to admit she was pretty cute.

Shelagh, in the meantime, stretched and sat up. Immediately, she thought of Angela and realized she was downstairs with her husband. She realized that this might be the only time for her to grab a shower, so she grabbed her toiletries and went into the loo.

Patrick heard the water running upstairs and guessed it meant Shelagh was up and moving. So, the oatmeal was started along with the toast. The water was just starting to peculate again when he heard a cry from the living room.

"Um, Dad," Timothy said. "I think she's got a dirty diaper..." Laughing at his son's expression through the hutch, Patrick walked back into the living room. "Go finish the oatmeal, and I'll take care of her," he said with a smirk to his son. Timothy didn't have to be told twice- he would much rather deal with cooking than changing a wet or dirty nappie! Patrick smiled at his squirming daughter and borrowed the sofa to change his daughter.

"Once your mummy and I have eaten, you'll get a nice bath," Patrick whispered as quickly and easily changed the nappie of the little one. It seemed to him that he had never forgotten how to do it even though it had been awhile since he had. He cradled her and once again began to gently say her back to dreamland. It was on this sight that Shelagh entered the room- falling more in love with her husband and the tiny child in his arms.

"Breakfast is ready" announced Timothy. "Oatmeal is ready on the table along with milk and juice." Shelagh smiled her thanks at her stepson and walked over and kissed her daughter's head. Patrick leaned down and caught her lips with a kiss and gently passed Angela to Shelagh. After doing so, he grabbed the soiled nappie and headed into the kitchen. Shelagh hummed the tune of a Scottish lullaby as she gently returned her daughter to the basket. With one last glance, she joined the rest of her family at the table.


	9. Chapter 9: Memories

**Part Nine: Memories**

Breakfast had been enjoyed and now the two men of the family had headed up the stairs. Shelagh had stayed downstairs with Angela- preferring to keep her away from the dust and noise of the rearrangement of boxes. She was working on sorting out items and getting them ready to be placed in the dresser. As she was doing it, she softly sang a lullaby- one she remembered her mother singing to her as a child. The thought of her mother made her wistful- she could only imagine what her mother would think of this tiny being.

Her voice softly sang:

"May you have the strength of the universe

And the strength of the sun

And the strength of the black bull

Which jumps the highest."

Patrick and Timothy met in the small room after getting dressed and surveyed the mess. It was one of the few rooms Shelagh hadn't ventured to to organize after her marriage. It was on her list before she found out she couldn't have biological children, but since then, she had walked by the room. It was just too painful, and she figured that one of these days she could have her husband do it for her.

"What's the plan, Dad?" Timothy asked, curious to see how his dad would suggest attacking this mess.

Patrick sighed and said, "Let's clean off the bookshelf first and move it into the hallway first. Since it's moving into your room, that makes the most sense to me." Father and son tackled the bookcase- mainly finding that the books were old or forgotten ones. Patrick began stacking a few in a pile to take to his office while Timothy found a few he wanted.

There was a few children's books- which Timothy claimed he was much to old for- that Patrick laid on the dresser. These books would stay in the room- they could be read to Angela. It was one of his favorite moments with a young Tim- reading to him as a young toddler. Any night he wasn't on call, Timothy would beg for a chapter of a book. The tradition had stopped when Tim's mother died- never to be done again.

Patrick noticed that a few of them belonged to his first wife and wondered what to do with them. He finally decided to give them to Shelagh and let her decide. Several of the volumes wound up in a stack to go to Nonnatus House to be donated to the local families.

A couple of hours later, Patrick and Timothy surveyed their work. It was something to see. The floor needed a good cleaning as well as the dresser. The boxes had been examined- thankfully they were clearly labeled- and moved around a bit. There was quite a stack to go to Nonnatus House- old clothes, several boxes of unneeded odds and ends and more was also a "Fred" pile as Timothy called it- broken things and old electronics. Tim's reasoning had been that Fred could fix it and make some money off of it. Patrick had smirked at the idea and nodded.

There was also a box that surprised both Timothy and Patrick. It was a box of toys that Timothy had played with as a baby. Patrick had honestly thought his wife had gotten rid of them after Timothy outgrew them. Timothy had smiled when he saw them and asked his dad if they could be kept for Angela- after they had been cleaned. Timothy asked his dad to keep the box a secret- he would ask Fred to help him make a toy box and give it to her for Christmas. The toys inside would be his old ones, plus any room for new ones which would inevitably come as gifts. The box was carefully tugged into Patrick's office where it would stay.

Downstairs, Angela had awoken and was fed. The bottle had just been placed in the sink with Shelagh heard a quiet knocking on the door. Carrying the tiny bundle, she walked toward the door. When she opened it, she smiled at the sight of Sister Julienne holding a picnic basket in her arms.

"Sister Julienne, how lovely to see you," Shelagh said softly. Sister Julienne smiled softly at the sight of her former sister holding a baby in her arms. "I brought you lunch and dinner," Sister Julienne whispered. "People have brought so much food to Chummy and Peter that they asked me to share it with you."

Shelagh nodded and said, "I was planning on bringing something over there today, but this little one interrupted my plans."

By this time, the two ladies had entered the kitchen. Shelagh motioned for Sister Julienne to put the basket on the table. Once she had done so, Shelagh gently transferred the wee one into her arms. "I want you to meet Angela," she whispered, carefully arranging the blanket around her sleeping daughter.

Sister Julienne smiled down at the infant- who for the moment- was wide awake and quiet. "How has it been? Adjusting to having a newborn in the house?"asked Sister Julienne smiling tenderly at the infant.

"It's been that... an adjustment," Shelagh said as she unpacked the basket. A folded up piece of paper caught her attention on the table, and she picked it up. Unfolding it, she read her husband's scrawl. Tears arose and she swiped at them behind her glasses, and she carefully placed it in her pocket.

"Patrick and Timothy are trying to get the baby's room organized at the moment..." Shelagh paused and then added, "I'm suspecting that they will be coming down the stairs any minute- and Timothy will be complaining he's starving."

Sister Julienne laughed and said, "Well, he is a growing boy."

At that moment, Timothy came into the kitchen and said, "Sister Julienne! What are you doing here?"

"I came to deliver lunch and meet your new sister," Sister Julienne replied in a much softer tone.

Timothy caught on and lowered his voice to ask, "What did you bring us?"

"Timothy," admonished Shelagh. "That is a rude thing to ask. You should be thankful for it and not question it."

Patrick, who had quietly walked into the room, smiled at the sight of his daughter in the arms of Sister Julienne. The three Turners sat down to eat while Sister Julienne held the sleeping baby.

After finishing eating, Patrick commented, "The nursery is about as cleaned out as its going to get. It will need a good cleaning, but I'm pretty much down and dusted right now."

Shelagh smiled at her husband and said, "I'll tackle the cleaning while you rest."

Sister Julienne took another close look at Shelagh and realized that she was as tired looking as her husband. She quietly handed Angela back to Shelagh and admonished, "No, you won't my dear. I'll clean while you rest. It shouldn't take me long to do it, and it looks like you and Patrick need a good nap."

Timothy, who at this point had been sitting around bored, asked, "And what about me? I'm not tired and I'm done with my homework."

Patrick eyed the clock in the corner and said, "Call Colin and see if you can go over and play for awhile. As long as you return in time for dinner, it's fine with me. You earned it by helping me with the baby's room."

Timothy nodded and headed straight for the phone. A few minutes later, he came back into the room. "Colin's mom said yes, and congratulations."With a reminder to grab his coat and the time to return, Timothy flew out the door.

Angela awoke suddenly and let out a loud cry once her brother left the house. Shelagh smiled at the little one and said, "I need to change this one's nappy. She went to take care of the matter, and Patrick got up and started the water in the sink. After doing the dishes, he called out to Shelagh, "Why don't we go ahead and give her a sponge bath?"

Shelagh nodded and said, "That sounds fine. I've already gotten her change of clothes picked out."

Sister Julienne smiled at the sight of the Turner parents working together. Taking it upon herself to find the supplies, she made her way into the nursery to get the baby's room ready for Angela. As she worked, she remembered a blessing she had heard Sister Monica Joan recite recently:

May God give you…

For every storm, a rainbow

For every tear, a smile

For every care, a promise

And a blessing in each trial.

For every problem life sends

A faithful friend to share,

For every sigh, a sweet song

And an answer for every prayer.

God Bless, my child.

It was, she decided, the perfect thing to wish for the sweet darling that was the light of Patrick and Shelagh's life.


	10. Chapter 10

**Part Ten: Understanding**

Angela was not a huge fan of the bath. She scrunched up her face and let out a wail that could be heard by anyone close to the house. As soon as she was dry and in clean clothes, Shelagh cuddled her close and rocked her. As she did, she softly sang the lullaby. Angela- hearing the soft voice, slowly began to quiet down and soon nodded off- nestled in her mothers arms.

"You are definitely a natural at this," whispered Patrick as he and Shelagh settled onto the couch.

Shelagh smiled and leaned down to kiss her daughter's head. "When I found out I couldn't have kids, I gave up on this dream. The adoption seemed like a small light, but then the interview was a disaster and I gave up hope. Then came the phone call, and my hopes began to arise again. I still can't believe this is our daughter- yours and mine," Shelagh whispered as tears began to stream down her face.

Patrick wiped at the tears and smiled at his wife. "It wasn't exactly tickety boom and marvelous process, but I would say we both grew from it. The interview was bad, and I blamed myself. When we recieved the letter, I found myself beginning to believe again. I found a reason to smile when I saw you. You seemed to always have it together. I remember telling myself I was one lucky chap to have married you, and I better hold onto you. It's the reason I started smiling, and I hope I don't stop."

Shelagh smiled and said, "Even with this little one now here, we must find time for each other. Our courtship was so unusual that we missed a lot of time getting to know one another. There are things we are still learning- such as your love of pickles and my distaste for them. We need to keep learning from each other. My father told me that was the one thing his father had told him was to never stop learning about your spouse. I found it crazy him giving me that advice when I knew I was heading for the convent, but I never forgot it."

"It makes sense," said Patrick. "With my crazy schedule, I never KNEW Timothy till my wife died. Even then, we still had to hem and haw around each other. It was almost as if you were the one that started that process for us. We talked more after the three-legged race than I remember before. It was almost as if I was seeing him for the first time."

"I guess it's something we are going to have to promise each other- to never take the other for granted. To always be willing to listen and learn from each other. I have a funny feeling we will be differing on how to raise this little one, but we will have to talk it out," whispered Shelagh.

"We will," said Patrick. He eyed the clock and said, "I'm going to call Dr. Jones now. He should be home from church."

Shelagh nodded and said, "I think I'm going to join this little one and take a nap."

Patrick gently took Angela from Shelagh and placed her in the basket. He tenderly kissed both his girls on the forehead and headed for the phone. Once he finished, he joined his wife on the couch and fell asleep.

Sister Julienne- who had cleaned the room to her very high standards- walked in on this scene. She smiled at the sight of her former fellow nun and her husband sound asleep on the couch. She knew that Shelagh must be missing her mother something fierce at a time like this and made the decision that it would be her that would come and check on them each day. Shelagh might protest it, but it was custom for Nonnatus House to check up on babies for two weeks after birth. Angela would be no different, and she would be a much loved new member of Nonnatus House.

With the death of Mrs. Browne and Jenny leaving, the baby was a bright spot in Sister Julienne's life. She was used to bringing life into the world, not seeing it leave. Over the last month, she had seen more change than she was used to, but she would adapt and move forward. She always had, and she always would.

A small whimper sounded from the basket, and Sister Julienne crept over. She smiled down at the tiny baby and reached in and picked her up. Rocking her gently, she made her way into the hallway and foyer to walk with the little one up and down the hall. She did it to allow the parents a few more restful minutes of sleep.

"Little one," she whispered, "I'm so glad that the Lord chose you for this home. You will never go unloved, and you will always be a light for these parents. I lost your mother to the love of a man, and I see now that you were part of the plan. I know that you were picked by God to be placed here."

Shelagh, who had awoken at the baby's cry, slowly walked into the kitchen. She began to make a bottle and smiled at her former sister. She had walked so quietly that Sister Julienne had not heard her. It was only when Angela began to cry insistently that she noticed Shelagh walking towards her with the bottle.

"I heard what you said to her," Shelagh whispered taking Angela so she could feed her. "You are right, you know. She couldn't have come at a better moment for us- she was and is a light in this dark world. It's part of the reason why we chose Angela as a name. It reminded us of an angel and she is a precious angel to us. Patrick and I had given up hope to have a child, and all of the sudden this angel landed in our arms."

Sister Julienne reached out and hugged her friend gently. "I will return tomorrow to check up on you three. Jenny has decided to leave us, and we are planning a small get together before she leaves. I will let you know when and you can bring Angela to meet the rest of us."

Shelagh smiled and nodded. She carefully burped Angela, and spoke softly, "I can't wait for the rest to meet her. The people of Nonnatus House are my family, and I want her to know them as such."

With that being said, Sister Julienne left- leaving the Turners to continue to adjust as a family- not of three, but of four.


End file.
